American Government and Citizenship essays

American Government and Citizenship essays I am a 19-year-old male, born and raised in support of our national government. My resent interest in the way our great nation is governed began in the classroom. I found my American Government class to be quite interesting and the Bush and Clinton scandals only increased my interest in American politics. Ever since, I have a strong belief in our government and will support it throughout my life. I always keep up with the events in Washington and follow today's issues very closely. Since the war began, MSNBC has been on in my room. I am a proud American citizen and would choose no other country to be from. I come from a home where we keep the flag present and raised to remind us of the people that gave their lives for us. Freedom is not something to be overlooked; our independence should not be taken for granted; and our government should continue making this land the great nation it is. I believe in our American politics, our science and art of government. I believe that government is necessary. Born as an American, individual rights are given at birth to guarantee life, liberty, and happiness. We can express individualism. America offers equality to all citizens. I feel that, without government, there would be total chaos among the population. It would be like the old West, where law and order barely existed. People would go around killing and stealing, never worrying about any consequences for their actions. People would solve their problems with guns and knives, having public shootouts where criminals and innocent alike would be gunned down in violent disarray. This is not what the people really wanted. Another example is Iraq, once the government fell, there was mass chaos. People where looting banks and stores, stealing anything they could. This is because of the fact that there was no government. Once law and order is established people will be safer and happ ier. Democracy is a form a government where the people rule thro...

Many times throughout history

Many times throughout history, specific events occur that explain why the existence of Native Americans are necessary for the Spanish and English colonists to survive. The Native Americans were like parents to the Spanish and English colonists. As a newborn baby is introduced to the new world, alike, the Spanish and English were introduced to a New World in which the Natives were already a part of. Their inhabitance of the land dates back to many thousands of years ago where they inhabited all regions of the Americas. When the Europeans arrived the Natives gave the colonists knowledge about the land. At times the Natives cared for them and supplied them with food and various other things. They also provided work for the colonists whether the Natives were slaves, servants or allied forces. Economically, the Natives were needed very much for anything the colonists would export to Europe. Throughout history, the colonists dependency on the Natives was clearly shown and the how ! the colonists exploited the Natives in every possible way was also clear. What the colonists needed most from the Natives was their knowledge of the land. Because the Natives lived in the Americas for thousands of years, they are familiar with the area and they know how to work with it. For example, when Cortez landed on the Mexican shores on 1519, he used the Aztecs for their gold. When he found out where the Aztecs were getting their gold from, he simply destroyed them after he used them for their knowledge. Spanish colonists also had to learn a lot from the Pima, Pueblo and Papagos to be able to continue their farming in the very dry Southwest. Another tribes knowledge the colonists needed for survival was the Hohokam. The Hohokam built and maintained the first irrigation system in America, channeling river water many miles to desert fields of maize, beans, squash, tobacco, and cotton. The Hohokams knowledge of...

Elijah Muhammad essays

Elijah Muhammad essays The reason I chose to research the life of Elijah Muhammad is because my dad had done research on Malcolm X for a class in college, and I wanted to find out about his teacher. I have found, in the process of this of this research, some startling information that I definitely had not expected. As you read this report, I hope you see what I mean. Elijah Poole was born in Sandersburg, Georgia on Oct. 7, 1897, to William and Mariah Poole, who had 12 other children. His parents were former slaves, and he had to quit school after third grade in order to earn enough money as a share cropper to help support his family. Just before the 1920s he married Clara Evans, with whom he fathered eight children. In 1923 he moved his family from Macon, Georgia, to Detroit, Michigan. In 1930, Poole met Fard Muhammad, who believed that it was time for the blacks to return to Islam, supposedly the religion of their ancestors. He became devoted to the religion, and, in 1934, was given the title "Supreme Minister."1 In 1942, he was jailed for evading the draft. The draft called for all males between the ages of 18 and 44 to join, and he refused, on claims that he was 45 and that his religion forbid it. Muhammad was released at the end of the war, and found a likeness of himself in Malcolm X, one of the young new Muslims who had joined the Nation of Islam after the war. In the 1950s Muhammad claimed X as his best disciple. Then, in 1964, X was assassinated, and Muhammad accused the American government of being behind it. In 1975, Elijah His formal education ended in in 1906 when he was 9 years old. He was forced to quit school because his family needed more support. However, this did not stop him from publishing several newspapers in which he tried to persuade blacks to convert to the way ...

Pliopithecus - Facts and Figures

Pliopithecus - Facts and Figures Name: Pliopithecus (Greek for Pliocene ape); pronounced PLY-oh-pith-ECK-us Habitat: Woodlands of Eurasia Historical Epoch: Middle Miocene (15-10 million years ago) Size and Weight: About three feet tall and 50 pounds Diet: Leaves Distinguishing Characteristics: Short face with large eyes; long arms and legs    About Pliopithecus One of the first prehistoric primates ever to be identifiednaturalists were studying its fossilized teeth as far back as the early 19th centuryPliopithecus is also one of the least well understood (as can be inferred from its namethis Pliocene ape actually lived in the earlier Miocene epoch). Pliopithecus was once thought to be directly ancestral to modern gibbons, and hence one of the earliest true apes, but the discovery of the even earlier Propliopithecus (before Pliopithecus) has rendered that theory moot. Further complicating matters, Pliopithecus was only one of more than two dozen similar-looking apes of Miocene Eurasia, and its far from clear how they were all related to each other. Thanks to later fossil discoveries from the 1960s, we know a lot more about Pliopithecus than the shape of its jaws and teeth. This prehistoric ape possessed very long, equally sized arms and legs, which makes it unclear whether it brachiated (i.e., swung from branch to branch), and its large eyes didnt quite face fully forward, casting doubts on the extent of its stereoscopic vision. We do know (thanks to those ubiquitous teeth) that Pliopithecus was a relatively gentle herbivore, subsisting on the leaves of its favorite trees and probably spurning the occasional insects and small animals enjoyed by its omnivorous relatives.

Literature reviewe (Technology adoption) Thesis

Literature reviewe (Technology adoption) - Thesis Example The developing countries have now started embracing technology to offer e-government services to the citizens but it has not been adapted globally at the same rate. The factors responsible for low penetration of technology is developing nations could vary across nations and regions. However, to make the services fruitful and to enhance adoption by consumers, various researchers have formulated and developed theoretical frameworks to understand and explain the process of technology adoption. Agarwal (2000) defines technology adoption as the use, or acceptance of a new technology, or new product. In Information Technology and Information system (IT/IS) research, numerous theories have been used to study users adoption of new technologies. Various models were developed including Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)(Davis, 1989), Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA)(Ajzen et al., 1980) , Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991), and recently, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Te chnology (UTAUT) (Venkatesh et al., 2003) which have all identified factors that affect an individual’s intention to use or the actual use of information technology. 3.2 Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) The theory of reasoned action (TRA) (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975, Ajzen et al., 1980) is well-accepted model that has been used successfully to explain behaviour across wide variety of settings (Chau, 1996, Chen et al., 2002, Davis et al., 1989, Venkatesh, 1999). According to TRA, an individual’s behaviour is best predicted by his/her behavioural intention which, in turn, is determined by the person’s attitudes and subjective norm (social influence) (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975). This implies that individuals consider the implications of their actions before they decided to engage or actually engage in any given behaviour. This theory focuses on behaviour intentions rather than on attitudes that influence behaviour (Al-Quesi, n.d.). However, an individual may not always consider the implications of his actions. This too may differ across individuals and across situations. According to TRA an individual’s intention to perform behaviour encompasses two factors – attitudes the performance of behaviour and subjective norms. Behavioural intention refers to the strength of one’s intention to perform a specified behaviour (Davis et al., 1989). Attitude is defined as the degree to which an individual makes a positive or negative evaluation about certain behaviour (Alzharani, n.d.). It is a set of beliefs about the object under consideration. An individual’s attitude towards any object can be predicted with a high degree of accuracy if the researcher has knowledge about the individual’s beliefs about the attitude object and the evaluation aspects of these beliefs (Al-Quesi, n.d.). If an individual believes that e-banking is risky or cumbersome or economic, his action would depend upon the evaluation of the attribute, Subj ective norm is defined as beliefs about what others will think about the behaviour (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975). It is also the social norm to perform or not perform behaviour (Alzharani, n.d.). That is, if an individual believes that most of people who are important to him perceive the outcome of performing the behaviour as positive, he/she will be more likely to perform the behaviour. Hence it can be defined as the individual’s perception of what most people would like, especially people who matter to him. The subjective norms are generally determined by

Scattering or Sowing of Seeds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Scattering or Sowing of Seeds - Essay Example Digging into the definition of "collective memory" it is evident that past experiences of an individual in a society influences the experiences of others in the same society and elsewhere. Collective memory is defined as the shared memory that can be passed on and also constructed by the group or modern society. (Esquith, 1996, P. 78) The definition further predisposes that it s the memory that a community possesses of its own history, lessons and learning it consciously. The tendency of bringing the entire institutional fabric which is created during such periods (when such memory occurs) impacts neglectively on the role of collective memory. It does not play a crucial role in the processes of political change. It leaves a mark on the daily political practices once the new regime becomes established. Collective memory leaves traces of the past memory in the political learning systems but to some extend this is unavoidable. (Fabre, 1994, P.29) Most of the studies under this topic focus on the effects of trauma that is produced by the memory of those bad times, war for example. Most of the scholars indicate that the war left an indelible mark on the nation. This could or can affect and undermine the peaceful nature of the society at critical moments. Collective memory instills lessons in the individuals' life and when it comes to political learning, chances are that political change may be effective. Political learning is the process through which people modify their political beliefs and tactics as a result of severe crisis, frustrations and dramatic changes in the environment. (Fabre, 1994, P. 33) This phenomenon is based on the fact that beliefs are not fixed immutably in childhood and that they are affected by political events. Political learning represents a process of cognitive change which is key to democratic reconstruction. In the African American culture has a history of struggle. African American struggled to succeed and be free, equal and affirmed. These experiences have impacted positively in some aspects. Most of them have positive sense of racial identity and spiritual strength because during the slavery period, the spirit was vital for survival. It was in the open that colour was a major determinant of who would be a slave and who would be free. (Walton, 1997, P. 132) The spiritual strength of the African - American was also derived from the physical and psychological struggles of slavery. They value self-love and love for others as methods through which people can enhance their personal lives. Through enhancing the lives of people, political change would be evident. Despite the experiences that they had gone through, they still had a great sense of accommodating change. (Walton, 1997, P. 34) Collective memory comes about through collective attitudes and behaviors. These are created and shared through common experiences and communication among a group of people. In the case of the African American, the slavery attitudes and experiences were eminent. The use of collective memory as a political socialization agent was a good target to the bringing of new knowledge to the people through political learning. It had a role of changing perceptions and attitudes of a group of people who had been exposed to hard kind of life. This tool captures the interests of researchers and scholars in social, psychological memory, sociology and anthropology. Research has it that individuals who were born between 1940 and 1960 are

Business Communication High School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Communication High School - Essay Example This will be a truly blessed opportunity to see the developmental work we have successfully achieved with your invaluable help in the past years. It will also be a wonderful opportunity for our kids to show off their skills and their gratitude. While it has been said that "it takes a village to raise a child", nothing can be truer for our kids at inner city New York, where much work still remains to be done to make our city safer, and our kids more fully aware of the emerging issues that concern everyone, even them. Now, there are a couple of ways wherein you can truly participate: one is to drop by and read our special stories for the day to the kids, stories that will highlight the little things they can do to help the community; or you can send a check with the enclosed business reply mail form. So please mark the 20th of May 2009 off your calendar and let us get together at the Seniors for Kids Day Care Center beginning at 10 in the morning. And remember, whatever little helps-after all the kids of inner city New York are your kids too.

Airport Growth Data Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Airport Growth Data - Research Paper Example When compared with international or regional trends, one finds that these have been starkly drawn up with passenger traffic and the volume of flights coming in and going out of an airport. This is the reason why much success is indeed linked up with how airports grow over a period of time and showcase the real basis of national and international traffic (Teck & Wai, 2002). The growth has been consistent because airliners have come up; fleets expanded and overall productivity is being seen across the ranks. This is the reason why many airports are now bringing in more luxuries and facilities for their passengers on a constant basis. Planning essentially plays a very quintessential role at suggesting how successful initiatives are being drawn up within the ranks of the airports in the time and age of today (Pitt & Brown, 2001). This is the reason why many airports are doing their best to accommodate as many passengers and flights as

Microsoft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Microsoft - Essay Example The products are critical in improving communication and management of data in institutions. The company’s production processes follow strict guidelines as apparent in the application of conventional techniques. The techniques facilitate the quality aspect of the products. It is imperative to note that the company has risen from a small in-house business outsourcing institution to a renowned supplier of electronic items. This was achievable through its noble and development oriented strategies. The strategies have been instrumental in its growth. For example, they provide the relevant operating framework with performance ideals. The company enjoys a wide market share and plans to expand further to new market segments. Findings based on strengths and weaknesses Microsoft Corporation displays strengths that has steered its growth. The company has diversified revenue base, ability to customize products to the locals, strong product brands that includes Ms Dos Microsoft windows, P Cs, basic interpreters and operating systems (Wilke 2003, p. 3). Further, it has effective distribution channels, good infrastructural set up, expansive market share and qualified personnel. Its weaknesses and threats include possibility of new entrance, limited network and diminishing raw materials. The opportunities and strengths present the company with lucrative prospect that seeks to leverage its international competitiveness. The analysis enables an institution to understand its current position and design viable strategies for improvement and sustainability. Concepts and theories The corporation is a multinational institution with a wide network. It is credited for adopting conventional human resource practices. The administration of company values its employees and treats them with decorum. This has contributed to the institution’s exemplary growth through development of viable teamwork groups. The groups enhance cohesiveness and participation in decision-making (Wilk e, 2003, p. 4). This has facilitated the development of innovative and creative ideas that focus on growth. The company adopts the international human resource management (IHRM) that ensures effective allocation of resources, utilization of human capital, hiring of diverse group of individuals, avoidance of regional disparities and cultural risks. The company through ethical principles and guidelines manages a huge number of staff who contributes to its success. The ethical principles are relevant because they promote cohesiveness and execution of activities based on mutual understanding (William. 2005, P, 3). The company offer favourable remuneration and terms of work that facilitates employee retention and motivation. This advances their performance capacity. This is vital in ensuring optimal production of the electronic items including software that meet the global demand. Analysis As noted, the company was established with the core mission to become the global consumer product a nd be the leading distributor of electronic items and software’s. Its fundamental values focus on quality enhancement, timely delivery of services and effective personnel administration. This propels the realization of the core values and institutional vision based on sound HR policies that are internationally relevant. Achieving exemplary performance and competitive advantage requires adoption of viable HR policies and formulation of acceptable objectives

High School Essay Example for Free

High School Essay My freshman year of high school was scary. Two rival middles schools coming together to make one freshman class did not seem like the best idea, the classes were harder, and the stress levels were higher. In eighth grade I was so excited to be in high school, but once I got there I could not wait for that year to be over. Then I realized I still had three more long school years ahead of me. Dont get me wrong, I had plenty of fun times freshman year. I met so many new people and made a lot of new friends. The majority of my friends then are still my friends now. But I was ready to grow up. I think every teenager thinks like this at one point or throughout every year of high school. Most teenagers are ready to move from home and start a new and more independent life in college during most years of high school. I know that I thought this way for quite sometime. I thought that life in college would be a million times more eventful than life in high school. Sophomore and junior year were also similar to freshman year. Friendships became stronger, classes were continuing to get more difficult, and even though I involved myself more in extracurricular activities, I was ready to get out of town and start college more than ever. I had picked out my dream school and already had so many plans for my freshman year of college. But instead of time speeding up like I wished it would, it felt like it was slowing down. Summer going into senior year I began getting bored with the town and I felt like I was always saying there is nothing to do here. I thought I needed more adventure and was becoming tired of just going through the motions. Although I felt like that then, a few weeks into senior year my mindset had completely changed. Even though senior year has been the toughest year yet, my class has created a culture. There is so many things that define us as a class and set us apart from everyone else. From traditions started at football games, to the things that we do as a group, we have created our own culture and identity. I have realized that even though I have wanted the past three years to fly by, all I want is for this year to slow down. My friends and I have all created extremely close bonds and we have become almost like a family. I feel like throughout the past three years I have taken a lot of things for granted and have not really appreciated all the memories I have had that came from good experiences. I have learned not to take any special moments for granted because I could look back on these days and remember all of the good times and how much I enjoyed my senior year. At times I regret wanting to grow up so fast because I know now that these are some of the best times of my life and I wish I would have appreciated them before. Although I do regret that, Im thankful I get to spend this year with every single one of my closest friends. I still have a long time to make memories, but as the saying goes, time flies when youre having fun.

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Introduction: The research is result of study project designed to examine few important parts of human resource management, which are hiring and selection process, sometimes suffering with under staffing and sometimes firing due to over staffing. This essay is also includes some of the recent theories about recruitment and staffing with reference to human resource management. Theories will be followed by literature review emphasising on concepts of staffing, managing people, recruitment and selection, practical and challenging problems. These theories will be followed by the research methodology of the case study research. This part is an overview of the research. It begins by background study to the research, followed by the research aim for this study. This part will conclude with a theoretical framework. Background Study Business process outsourcing sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in India. There have been a lot many companies entering the market which includes multinational companies coming to India and new organisations in India starting their business for these companies. Business process outsourcing (BPO) in India offers customer services; IT support, financial services and many back end services to many MNCs. The projections for theBusiness process outsourcing (BPO)) sectorare huge: almost five-fold increase in size from $11 billion to $50 billion by 2012 and a 50 % growth rate over the next five years as compared to 35% in the past five years. Two million jobs across the country in four years the BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING (BPO) sectorsure has enormous untapped potential but mere potential does not amount to performance (Nexis, Financial Express, June 5, 2008 Thursday). BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING (BPO) sector does not only cover international market but it also has a strong domestic market. Many big organisations outsource their customer services and other back office works to service offering firms. Indias domestic Business process outsourcing (BPO)) market, with nearly 500 players, is set to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 33.3% to touch revenues of $6.82 billion by 2013. The industry recorded a turnover of $1.62 billion in 2008. Voice processes in the Indian domestic BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING (BPO) market contribute 55% to the overall domestic revenues while non-voice market such as offering solutions, back office works, makes up the rest. The domesticBUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING (BPO)market shows promise of growth, especially insectorslike banking and finance as well as the telecomsectorin the short term. The industry currently offers a range of services from customer care to research and analytics. Of this, the banking financial services and insurance segment contributes the lions share of 37% to revenues (Nexis, Financial Express, November 14, 2009 Saturday) HRM plays a very important role in an organisations success or failure. As the BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING (BPO) sector was growing the requirement for strategic human resource management was increasing. According to Storey (1995), Human resource management is a distinctive approach to employment management which seeks to achieve competitive advantage through the strategic deployment of a highly committed and capable workforce using and array of cultural, structure and personnel techniques. As the competition was growing every organisation in this sector wanted to hire the best ones. Business process outsourcing (BPO)industry inIndiais witnessing a decline in attrition rates due to therecession. BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING (BPO)companies are hiring in smaller numbers and prefer to work with on-board employees to reduce costs. Genpact has recorded a decline of five percent in attrition to 21 percent in Jan-Mar 2009. EXL has recorded a decline of 12.8 percent in attrition to 21 percent. WNS (part of one of the top 10 BPO firms as per Business Today) has reported a decline of seven percent in attrition to 22 percent. Wipro (one of the top five firms as per Business Today)BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING (BPO)has reported a decline of five percent in attrition to 13 percent (Nexis, IndiaBusiness Insight, May 12, 2009 Tuesday). This research is going to be conducted in Adventity in order to understand what were the Human Resource strategies adopted by them, what went wrong and what should have been done. Adventity is a part of both domestic and international BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING (BPO) sector. Its a full service KPO/BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING (BPO) organisation for the Banking and Financial Services and the Airlines and Travel industry, offering solutions to clients across the globe. Adventity is a financial organisation working in Mortgage sector in US. In 2008 when mortgage market was suffering and all financial institutions were filing for bankruptcy, Adventity decided to increase its employee strength. With the help of its HR team Adventity started hiring on a large scale. Adventity is competing in the BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING (BPO) market, where the competition is much ferocious than any other market in India. Every organisation in this sector wanted the best of employees in order to compe te. Thus it was very essential for Adventity to evaluate and manage its employment strength by adapting some of the key HR process. Thus Human resource management is one of the focused strategies of Adventity growth policy. Thus as discussed above, after knowing the importance and very essential role of recruitment and selection to human resource, this research emphasises on the human resources management which includes hiring and selection and removal process that affects Adventity. Research Objective: The major objectives of this research is to understand the effect of human resources management which includes hiring and selection and removal process that affects Adventity . The objectives are stated below: Hiring and selection process conducted by the human resource team in Adventity. Literature review assessment on hiring and selection and removal process. Evaluate the outcome of hiring and selection and removal process. Evaluate the affects of the same process on Adventity. Literature Review Business Process Outsourcing: In September 1989, Jack Welch, then General Electric Co.s chairman, flew to India hoping to sell products like airplane engines and plastics to the Indian government. During a meeting with top government advisers, Sam Pitroda, chief technology adviser of the late Premiere Rajiv Gandhi, surprised Mr. Welch by saying We want to sell you software. Mr Welch, by agreeing to start this business relationship, became the motion that started India on its way to becoming one of the strongholds of outsourcing and sparked the global outsourcing revolution (Solomon and Kranhold, 2005) Business Process Outsourcing, which began as an arrangement for necessity and later a major cost cutting move, has now evolved to become a mainstream management practice in number of industries. The increased uptake of outsourcing, particularly in the form of global-sourcing, raises a number of critical and crucial issues for corporate management (Currie, 1995). Recent years have seen dramatic growth in its use statistics indicates that business process outsourcing now an $180 billion industry (Anderson, 2004) and information technology outsourcing now accounts for over 35% of global information technology spending (Cap Gemini Ernst Young, 2003). Like any other move, there is a degree of risk involved with outsourcing (Aubert, Patry Rivard, 1998; Earl, 1996). Approximately 75% of outsourcing deals are unsuccessful and that American businesses wasted a lot of billion dollars on poorly managed contracts. Advances in transmission technology and deregulation of telecommunication facilities have resulted in the ability for cheaper global communication via voice and data networks (Namasivayam, 2004; Weinstein, 2004). The prevalent locations choices for this offshore outsourcing trend are India and china, primarily due to the potential of cheap labour cost arbitrage to achieve an overall reduction in operations costs. Recruitment: Recruit process refers to the process of attracting, evaluating and selecting the qualified and the eligible candidates for any position in the organisation. Human resource management is acknowledged to play an important role in todays dynamic business environment (Schuler and Jackson, 2007). Business process outsourcing firms, in particular, need to pay special attention to the management of their human resources due to the unique nature of their work where worker becomes the central figure. It is therefore important to attract, retain and keep employees motivated and efficient (Derry and Kinnie, 2004). The analysis reveals that the activities relating to recruitment are formal and structured across all the BPOs and the responsibility for the recruitment process is shared by both HR department and the operations department of the organisation (Pawan, Budhwar and Bhatnagar, 2009). The importance of recruiting is pointed out by Luftman et al. who named recruiting as a top issue for executives (Luftman et al., 2006). Moreover, the renewed increasing demand for BPO workers turns out to be a local phenomenon, but global in its scope and implications (Riemenschneider et al., 2008). The rising importance of the recruiting process is also recognised in practice, since more global operating companies started to standardise their worldwide staffing process recently (Eckhardt et al., 2008). According to Kim and Won, the recruiting process is the most time and cost consuming process among all the other human resource processes. Organisation are increasingly recognising the importance of coordination among the numerous different in staff recruitment (Kim and Won, 2007) as recruitment process in a BPO takes approximately one entire day as it includes many stages of different types of evaluations. Keim and Weitzel showed that applicants from highly values, with high expecta tions who contact the hiring agencies or companies via different modes of communications and media and apply for jobs using different forms of application (Keim and Weitzel, 2006). The candidates from diverse preferences for particular application forms split the applicants in different in different groups (Eckhart et al., 2007). In order to response to these different applications many organisations change their recruiting process. The forecast is that more organisations would outsource their knowledge-intensive business to India given the shortage of skilled labour in the US/UK and other markets, and indeed the potential cost savings involved (Evalueserve, 2004; Sen and Shiel, 2006). It is estimated that more than 250,000 people are to be employed in this sector by 2010 (The Hindu, 2006). Thus considering the speedy growth and the people-driven nature of this sector, competent human resource management has a very crucial role to play. Some of the reports suggest that one of the foremost challenges for these BPOs and KPOs would be related to recruitment, retention and nurturing i.e. training of appropriate talent (Evalueserve, 2004; RocSearch, 2006). Selection Process: The selection process can be defined as process of interviewing and assessing the candidates for a specific job profile in an organisation based on the criteria set by the organisation. The selection process is developed to determine the final choice, including an interview and how it will be conducted, the approach that will be used to sell the company, the methods that will be used to evaluate the candidates, tests that may be used and reference and credential checks. The process can be very simple or very complicated or intensive depending upon the job profile and the organisation. The main objective when hiring is to select the appropriate candidate for the appropriate job. In order to select the appropriate candidate an interview is conducted. Interviewing is still the most commonly used method of selection in Employment and the most popular selection technique in use in public and private sectors (Robertson and Makin, 1986; Shackleton and Newell, 1991; Williams 1992). The selection process is designed to decide the final choice, which includes an interview and how that interview will be conducted, the approach the organisation will use to hire the candidate, the evaluation method, the tests that may be used and reference and background check. Of all the selecting methods available, interviewing is the most heavily relied upon and the most difficult to master. The key to an effective interview is to remain focused on the objectives of the interview (Rice, 1984). Retention: Because of downsizing due to recession (Hirsch, 1987; Cameron et al., 1993) and hiring contingent employees (Pfeffer and Baron, 1988; Pfeffer, 1994), long-term organizational commitments are largely disappearing (Rousseau, 1996; Rousseau and Libuser, 1997) and high employee turnover has become common (Cohen, 1993; Hunt and Morgan, 1994). Under these circumstances, employees mobility decisions become a critical issue. Employee mobility represents the flow and exchange of workforces (Ehrenberg and Smith, 1994). For an employee, its his decision of to stay or to go, or retention or turnover. Employee mobility plays an important role in improving the match between a worker and a given employer over time (Ehrenberg and Smith, 1994). It also forces both employee and employer to remain alert of the big marketplace and to continuously study one anothers requirements. In this way, mobility actually performs a socially useful role by matching workers with those employers who will most value th eir skills (Ehrenberg and Smith, 1994). Attrition costs time and money to employee and employer both. Employers find replacement cost and hidden organisational cost high (Mitchell et al., 2001); employees find monetary and psychological costs taxing (Ehrenberg and Smith, 1994; Mitchell et al., 2001). Human capital theory (Mincer, 1962; Becker, 1962) considers voluntary retirement service as an investment in which the cost incurs well before in time and the organisation can earn return over a long period of time. If the current value of returns which is directly related with the attrition exceeds both monetary and psychological costs of leaving, then the employee will be motivated to switch jobs. If the discounted stream of benefits is not as large as the costs, the employee will refrain from switching jobs (Ehrenberg and Smith, 1994). HR Challenges in BPO/KPO Organisations: In India, the literature on human resource management in general grabbed attention after the liberalization of the economy in 1991. Few learnings have highlighted that the human resource task in Indian firms is beginning to adopt a more strategic approach in the management of this critical resource (Budhwar and Sparrow, 1997). However, it has also been pointed out that these practices vary across sectors with marked differences between private and public sector organizations (Budhwar and Boyne, 2004; Amba Rao et al., 2000; Bordia and Blau, 1998). However, there is a prominent lack in researches on business processing outsourcing organizations (especially on KPOs). An analysis of secondary sources which are mainly articles from the press and business magazines and the some of the very rare available research papers on Indian BPOs, reveal that the basic cost-effective model of Indian business process outsourcing sector has started to weakening as income continues to rise on an per annu m basis at 10-20 percent, and in some of the scenarios the average revenue is declining. Few analysts are questioning the sustainability of the rapid growth of the Indian business process outsourcing sector and are worried that the industry after a while might burst like the dot.com bubble. Many HR-related issues are becoming obvious. For an example it was predicted that, by 2008 the outsourcing sector might face shortage of approximately 262,000 employees (Budhwar et al., 2006a). To add more, the sector has a very high attrition rate and many outsourcing firms find it difficult to retain their tenure and the best employees. Despite the fact that there is a huge number of students graduating every year, but the education system of many institute in India does not meet the quality required by this sector, thus the scarcity of new joiners is increasing. Due to the shortage, the hiring of new talent has become more expensive. Due to high attrition rates in the sector, every employee who quits the job costs the company another Rs40,000 to 50,000 (Â £1 Â ¼ 84 Indian rupees approximately) to recruit and train a replacement. At present, the quality of the sector has increased so high that for every 20 applicants in Mumbai, just one or two make the cut. Apart from this, emplo yees in the sector are experiencing problems related to stress, careers, and dissatisfaction at work (Budhwar et al., 2006a, b). References: Storey J. (1995), Human Resource Management: Still marching on or marching out?; in J. Storey Human resource Management A critical text, London, Routledge Nexis, India Business Insight, May 12, 2009 Tuesday Anderson D. (2004). Proactive Planning: A prerequisite for successful sourcing. November 19, 2004. Aubert A. B., Patry. M, Rivard. S. (1998). Assessing the risk of IT outsourcing. In proceedings of the 31st Hawaii International Conference on Systems Sciences. Cap Gemini Ernst Young, (2003). The Outsourcing report: Making choices Insight into successful outsourcing. Currie, W. L. (1995). Management strategy for IT: An international perspective, Great Britain:Pitman Publishing. Earl M. J. (1996). The risks of outsourcing IT. Sloan Management Review, 37(3), 26-32. Solomon, J., and Kranhold, K (2005). In Indias Outsourcing boom, GE played a starring role, Wall Street Journal, A1. Derry, S. And Kinnie, N. (2004). Introduction: The nature and management of call centre work, in Derry and Kinnie (eds), Call Centres and Human Resources Management: A Cross National Perspective, Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan, pp 1-22. Pawan, S., Budhwar and Bhatnagar, J., 2009. The Changing face of People Management in India. Routledge, New York. Luftman, J., Kempaiah, R., and Nash, E. (2006). Key Issues for IT Executives 2005. MIS Quarterly Executive, 5(2):81-99. Riemenschneider, C. K., Moore, J. E., and Armstrong, D. (2008). Call for papers Special issue on meeting the renewed demand for IT workers, European Journal of Information Systems (EJIS). http://www.palgravejournals. com/ejis/CFP-EJIS-ITWorkers.pdf (visited 06/05/2008). Eckhardt, A., Weitzel, T., Koenig, W., and Buschbacher, J. (2007). How to convince people who dont like IT to use IT A case study on eRecruiting. In Proceedings of the 13th Americas Conference on Information Systems. AMCIS 2007. Kim, G.-M. and Won, H. J. (2007). HR BPO service models for small and medium enterprises. Business Process Management Journal, 13(5):694-706. Keim, T. and Weitzel, T. (2006). Strategies for hiring IT professionals: An empirical analysis of employer and job seeker behavior on the IT labor market. In Proceedings of the 2006 Americas Conference on Information Systems. AMCIS 2006. Evalueserve (2004), The next big opportunity moving up the value chain from BPO to KPO, Evalueserve, available at: www.evalueserve.com/Media-And-Reports/WhitePapers/NextBigOpportunityMovinguptheValueChainFromBPOtoKPO.pdf Sen, F., Shiel, M. (2006), From business process outsourcing (BPO) to knowledge process outsourcing (KPO): some issues, Human Systems Management, Vol. 25 pp.145-55. The Hindu (2006), India preferred destination for KPO, The Hindu, Vol. 21 August. RocSearch (2006), Knowledge services market beyond the hype: will India deliver?, Rocsearch Limited, available at: www.rocsearch.com/Media/KnowledgeServicesMarket.pdf, Robertson, I.T., Makin, P.J. (1986), Management selection in Britain: a survey and critique, Journal of Occupational Psychology, Vol. 59 No.1, Shackleton, V.J., Newell, S. (1991), Management selection: a comparative survey of methods used in top British and French Companies, Journal of Occupational Psychology, Vol. 64 pp.13-36. Rice, C. (1984). Getting Good People and Keeping Them.American Management Association, Publications Group: New York. Hirsch, P. (1987), Pack Your Own Parachute: How to Survive Mergers, Takeovers, and Other Corporate Disasters, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA. Cameron, K.S., Freeman, S.J. and Mishra, A.K. (1993), Downsizing and redesigning organizations, in Huber, G.P. and Gluck, W.H. (Eds), Organizational Change and Redesign, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Pfeffer, J. and Baron, J. (1988), Taking the workers back out, Research in Organizational Behavior, Vol. 10, pp. 257-303. Pfeffer, J. (1994), Competitive Advantage through People, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA. Rousseau, D. (1996), Changing the deal while keeping the people, Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 10 No. 1, pp. 50-61. Rousseau, D. and Libuser, C. (1997), Contingent workers in high risk environments, California Management Review, Vol. 39 No. 2, pp. 103-23. Cohen, A. (1993), Organizational commitment and turnover: a meta-analysis, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 36 No. 5, pp. 1140-57. Hunt, S.D. and Morgan, R.M. (1994), Organizational commitment: one of many commitments or key mediating construct?, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 37 No. 6, pp. 1568-87. Ehrenberg, R. and Smith, R. (1994), Modern Labor Economics, Addison-Wesley, Wokingham. Mitchell, T.R., Holtom, B.C., Lee, T.W., Sablynski, C.J. and Erez, M. (2001), Why people stay: using job embeddedness to predict voluntary turnover, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 44 No. 6, pp. 1102-21. Mincer, J. (1962), On-the-job training: costs, returns, and some implications, The Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 70, pp. S50-S79. Becker, G.S. (1962), Investment in human capital: a theoretical analysis, Journal of Political Economics, Vol. 70, pp. 9-49. Budhwar, P., Sparrow, P. (1997), Evaluating levels of strategic integration and devolvement of human resource management in India, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 8 pp.476-94. Budhwar, P., Boyne, G. (2004), Human resource management in the Indian public and private sectors: an empirical comparison, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 15 No.2, pp.346-70. Amba-Rao, S.C., Petrick, J.A., Gupta, J.N.D., Von der Embse, T.J. (2000), Comparative performance appraisal practices and management values among foreign and domestic firms in India, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 11 No.1, pp.60-89. Bordia, P., Blau, G. (1998), Pay referent comparison and pay level satisfaction in private versus public sector organizations in India, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 9 No.1, pp.155-67. Budhwar, P.S., Luthar, H.K., Bhatnagar, J. (2006a), The dynamics of HRM systems in Indian BPO firms, Journal of Labour Research, Vol. 27 No.3, pp.339-60. Budhwar, P., Varma, A., Singh, V., Dhar, R. (2006b), HRM systems of Indian call centres: an exploratory study, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 17 No.5, pp.881-97.

Essay --

Factory Farming: Mass Production or According to the Organic Consumers Association, in 1970 there were approximately 900,000 family farms in the United States; by 1997 there were only 139,000 family farms. This number is continually decreasing by the year. Why is this a problem? Factory farms promote abusive practices in order to maximize production at minimal cost at the expense of the environment, the community, and even our personal health. They house thousands of animals and inject them with hormones in order to maximize their growth and food output. The techniques being used are inhumane and are used thousands of times a day. According to the Organic Consumers Association, two out of every three animal products in stores come from factory farms. Factory farms dominate food production throughout the country. Animals most commonly consumed that require large-scale farming practices are cows, chickens and pigs. The methods of farming are not only bad for the animals themselves, but it’s affecting the meat we put into our bodies, and is therefore affecting one’s health. Factory farms ultimately have a negative effect on the health of both the animal and the consumer of the animal product. In today’s traditional factory farms, beef cattle are being raised in cruel living environments. In an article written by Berry Estabrook titled Feedlots vs Pastures: Two Very Different Ways to Fatten Beef Cattle, published in â€Å"The Atlantic† written December 28th, 2011 says that most of Americas beef comes from factory farms. They are crammed by the thousands into crowded, confined dirt lots. The cattle have hardly any room to move around and are forced to live in piles of their own excrement. Due to the many cows, they are deprived from ve... ...hat can be made towards stopping factory farming corporations from taking over. One of those ways could be to discovering how animal products are made. You can research companies that you commonly buy to make educating purchasing decisions when buying items from a grocery store. If you decide to buy an animal product, look up if the animals were forced to live in confined environments or if they were raised in open fields in their natural habitats. We can also spread the word to others. Talk to them about the problems with factory farming and the issues and encourage them to take action. This can range to anyone from a small audience like your family, to a much larger audience like a local school. By taking these small steps you will impact animals that are being abused, your personal health, the health of loved ones, and the health of others throughout the country.

Jordan craters :: essays research papers

The Jordan Craters volcanic field is located on the Owyhee-Oregon Plateau at the southeastern end of a series of young basalt fields extending from near Bend, Oregon, through Diamond Craters in south-central Oregon (Volcanoes of the World). The Jordan Craters field is limited to the northern most and youngest portion of a larger (250 square kilometers) Quaternary alkaline basalt field. There are three major vent areas aligned north to south along surficial and inferred expressions of the regional Basin and Range faulting (Hart, W.K., and Mertzmann, S.A.). Fluid pahoehoe basalt flows emanated from each of these sources, with pyroclastic activity confined to small scatter cones and to a larger crater-cone complex (Coffeepot Crater) at the northernmost edge of the Jordan Craters portion of this field (Volcanoes of the World). This entire Quaternary alkaline basalt field is part of a larger field (nearly 800 square kilometers) that includes Pleistocene and Pliocene olivine tholeiite to t ransitional basalt flows and vents. Jordan Craters is a wonderful sight mainly because of its well-preserved vents and striking flow features. Near Coffeepot Crater, the flow surfaces are vesicular shelly pahoehoe, which grade to massive tube-fed ropy pahoehoe in the distal regions. A 75-square-kilometer coffeepot Crater is a heart-shaped tephra cone constructed of numerous overlapping lobes of alternating densely to weakly welded scoriaceous lapilli and bombs (Volcanoes of the World). The walls of the crater show good evidence for a fluctuating lava pond, which appears to have broken through and rafted away portions of the northeastern and southeastern crater walls. Backflow of the lava pond into the conduit is indicated by pahoehoe crust on the present crater floor. The Jordan Craters lava flow field is mineralogically and chemically homogeneous, whereas proximal tephra and flow deposits exhibit significant chemical heterogeneity which correlates with the eruptive history. Also noteworthy are the many excellent examples of basalt flow

Statistical and managerial techniques for six sigma methodology theory and application Essay

Quality improvement (QI) comprises of continuous and systematic actions that result to measurable improvement in the health care as well as the health status of patients groups that are targeted. According to the institute of Medicine’s, which is a recognized advisor and leader on the nation’s health care improvement, health care quality comprises of a direct correlation between the desired health outcomes and the level of improved health services of populations and individuals (Shan 2008). The process of QI involves the application of a defined and a deliberate process of improvement. It involves ongoing and continuous efforts designed to achieve measurable improvements in the effectiveness, efficiency, accountability, outcomes, performance, and other indicators of quality in processes or services which improves the community health and achieves equity. Methodologies used in integrating QI strategies in the health care performance                Methodology describes theoretical analysis of the appropriate methods to a given field of study or to the body of principles and methods particular to a branch of knowledge (Barone 2012). On the other hand, a strategy refers to the science and art of marshaling and planning resources for an efficient and effective use (Menon 2010). Six Sigma                It involves monitoring, designing and improving process that eliminate or minimize waste while increasing financial stability and optimizing satisfaction. The performance of a process is applied in measuring improvement through comparing the process capability with the capability of baseline process after the potential solution piloting for quality improvement. It uses two primary methods. One method is responsible in inspecting process outcome and counts on the defects, calculates the rate per million of a defect, and applies a table of statistics in the conversion of defect rate per million in relation to a sigma metric. The second estimates the variation of the process to predict the performance through calculating a sigma metric from the observed variations of the process. It uses a five-phased process that is disciplined rigorous, referred to as DMAIC approach. It begins by identifying the project, reviewing the historical data, and lastly defining the s cope of the expectations. Next, the standards of continuous total quality performance are selected objectives of the performance are defined, and definition of sources of variability. Data are collected for assessment of how well the process was improved by changes as a new project is implemented. Customer inspired quality methodology                It concentrates on the process as well as the results of an organization. This methodology needs the service to be thorough as it focuses on the customers’ perspective. It identifies customer measures, reviewing and improving processes and getting the feedback of customers. This methodology enables the organization to realize the customer needs and works towards integrating them to the customer services. The methodology becomes continuous as the patients’ needs change with time. The organization sets down procedures which act as a reference to the organization. This calls for regular training of the staffs so as to enhance better services delivery to the customers. Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA)                Studies and projects based on QI aimed at bringing positive changes in the processes of delivering health care services can apply PDSA for favorable outcomes. This method has been widely used by healthcare institute for rapid cycle improvement. The model has a unique feature that is the cyclical nature of assessing and impacting change. It is most accomplished effectively through frequent and small PDSAs instead of using slow and big ones before wide changes are made in the system. The aim of PDSA efforts in quality improvement is to establish a casual or functional relationship between outcomes and changes in processes specifically capabilities and behaviors (Provost 2011). Three questions are proposed before applying the PDSA cycles: what is the aim of the project? How will it be revealed that the set aims were achieved? What is going to be done to achieve the aim? The cycle starts by with determining the scope and the nature of the problem, what is to be measured in order to understand the effect of change, and where the strategy is to be targeted. A change is implemented, and information and data are collected. Results from the study are interpreted and assessed through reviewing several key measurements showing failure or success. Lastly a change on QI is implemented based on the results obtained. Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS)                It occupies a significant part in the field of management technologies of clinical knowledge through their capacity to support the use of knowledge and the clinical process, from investigation and diagnosis through treatment and long-term care. These support systems are â€Å"systems of active knowledge using two or more patient data items for the generation of case-specific advice (Danniels 2010). CDSS is designed typically to integrate a medically based knowledge, an inference engine and patient data for case specific advice generation. IT applications                For health care providers to meet the increasing quality demands of their patients, they are required to focus on innovation technology. Examples of IT that can be applied include object oriented technologies, use of specific components of IT, and the computerized system records (Qi 2013). Object oriented technology ensures all different systems in the organization are connected to a unified system of management. Patient’s records are computerized to prevent damage or loss. For specific IT components, it ensures easier monitoring of quality performance in the organization. IT applications in improving performanceObject oriented technology                Links the components of quality management system to the entire management system of the enterprise, it is obtained through connection of these components via interface of a standard framework. It ensures that medical records are not lost, and there is faster delivery of services. Computerized system of patient records                It has great effects on the profitability of the organization. It minimizes time and labor that is used during data entry. The stored data is easily propagated once it has been keyed into the system (Clancy 2003). Specific IT components                It helps in sufficing the demands of the diversified population of patients. It ensures consistency in the organizations operations. It enables the organization to achieve the safety of patients and have fast service delivery. Nurses and other health workers learn fast on how to use such systems as they are specific. Use of milestones and benchmarks in quality indicators management                In quality improvement, quality indicators are used as a guide to the performance evaluation in an organization. Walshe et al (2001) stated that performance should be continually evaluated and at the end of the organizational projects. Benchmarks are operations and programs that are set out in order assess the organizational performance (Catalano 2008). This is achieved through running some trial tests and standards. It ensures a review of information technology performance of an organization. Milestones mark the end of a stage or a project. Performance is continually monitored, improved and evaluated through this process. Potential benchmarks                For the plan of QI, future event, benchmarks system level and application benchmarks will be applied. Benchmarks help the organization in achieving the set goals. The benchmarks system level is meant in evaluating how computer programs and applications are performing in overall. According to Obadiah & Boudriga (2009), use of information technology improves the organizational computer programs and systems. The application of benchmarks applies actual application programs. In the delivery of health care services, the aim is ensuring that each patient gets quality health services. The vision, mission and strategic plan of the health organization are to give satisfactory services to patients. The organization also plans to be the leading store and drug suppliers. Improvement of performance is in line with the organizational plans as they facilitate achievement of patients’ satisfaction and quality improvement. This results to increased sales, competitivene ss and revenue (Walshe et al 2001). Conclusion                Performance and quality improvement are very essential in an organization. It is achieved through the use of improved information technology system, and methodologies of performance improvement. Improvement of performance being a continuous process leads to increase in the organizational profit and customer loyalty. References Barone, S., & Franco, E. L. (2012). Statistical and managerial techniques for six sigma methodology theory and application. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley. Chiarini, A. (2013). Lean organization from the tools of the Toyota Production System to lean office. Milan: Springer. Daniels, R., Grendell, R. N., & Wilkins, F. R. (2010). Nursing fundamentals: caring & clinical decision making. (2nd ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning. Dou, R. (2013). Proceedings of 2012 3rd International Asia Conference on Industrial Engineering and Management Innovation (IEMI2012). Berlin: Springer. Harrington, H. J. (2013). Performance acceleration management (PAM): rapid improvement to your key performance drivers. Boca Raton: CRC Press. Menon, R., & Kumar, R. (2010). The long view from Delhi: to define the Indian grand strategy for foreign policy. New Delhi: Academic Foundation in association with Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations. Provost, L. P., & Murray, S. K. (2011). The health care data guide learning from data for improvement. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Qi, E. (2013). The 19th International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management: engineering management. Berlin: Springer. Source document

Standard Forms of Building Contract

Furthermore, procedures for selecting main contractor and sub-contractor was reviewed and comparison was prepared to show differences between two procedures. A flow-chart diagram was attached in the Appendix to show the procedures. 2 Introduction 2. 1 Background of the Projects The project we are going to bid is a private development, which to construct a 24- storey residential apartment. The form of contract that the client decided to use in the captioned project is Hong Kong Standard Form of Building Contract 2005-WithQuantities, which is published by HKIS, HKIA & HKICM. The client preferred a single stage selective tendering approach and we are now going to enter the bid. 2. 2 Objectives (i) Understand the procurement strategy adopted (it) Understand the form of contract adopted (iii) Understand how the Client will appoint our company (iv)Understand how our company will appoint a subcontractor (v) Identify differences in tendering procedures 2. 4 Procurement Strategy Figure 1 Orga nizational structure ofa traditional strategy (RICS, 2013) Based on the above scenario, we assumed the project adopting the traditional rocurement.Traditional procurement is most commonly used approach in the construction industry. It's standard practice in the industry since 19th century. (RICS, 2013) Therefore, roles and responsibilities of contractors and different project consultants are well understood. In traditional procurement, design process is kept separate from the construction process. (RICS, 2013) The design have to be completed first and full documentation including drawings, specifications are needed before tendering process. In view of the client, he can remain his control over the design and ensuring quality.A contract dministrator will also appointed to monitor the projects, usually the architect or the engineer. In view of cost and contracts, all returned tenders are based on same intormation, the tender prices can be easily analyzed, and no need tor the Contracto r to build in a risk premium in the tender sum. If the designed is fully completed, construction costs can be determined with reasonable certainty given that there are no changes in the construction stage. OCT, 2008) However, this procurement method may take longer time because the scheme has to be more or less fully designed before seeking tenderers.Also, fragmented design nd construction process can leads to disputes between the Contractors and the designers, rather than single responsibility in â€Å"design-and-build† method. (RICS, 2013) 2. 5 Contract Choice Since the client has adopted traditional approach, â€Å"Hong Kong Standard Form of Building Contract Private Edition-With Quantities 2005 Edition† (HKSFBC05) has been chosen by the client to use in this tender. This contract is commonly used in private developments in Hong Kong. (KPK, 2010) It is a lump sum contract in which payment will be made at monthly interval.It's suitable for adopt in medium-large size building orks designed by the Employer, or someone on behalf of the Employer. Drawings and bills of quantities have to provide by the Employer to define the quantity and quality of the work for Contract to price for it. OCT, 2008) The HKSFBC05 contains detailed conditions which regulates the rights and obligations of the Employer and Contractor. Moreover, under Article 3&4 of the HKSFBC05, an Architect and a Quantity Surveyor have to be named to administer the contract conditions, their power and duties are also described in the Contract.The Architect will be the contract administrator whereas the quantity surveyor will assist im to prepare valuations for interim payments and variations, calculating liquidated damages (LD) and prepare final account, etc. Generally, the price is bases on lump sums and payment to be made in monthly interval. OCT, 2008) 3 Tendering Procedures 3. 1 Definition Tendering is the process by which bids are invited from interested contractors to carry out spe cific packages of construction work. The process aims to ensure achieving of true competition.Procurement strategy and forms of contract should have decided and confirmed in precedence to execute the tendering process. 3. 2 Main-contract The whole tendering procedures for main contract can be divided at 3 sections as follows:- 3. 2. 1 Establishment of Tender List At the very beginning of the process, the client should have compile a tenderer list, in order to ensure every contractor chosen to tender will be able to meet specified eligibility, if they are appointed. To form the tenderer list, pre-qualification mechanism may adopted.Interested contractors should prove that they meet minimum standards in certain criteria like financial conditions, project experience, protessional competence, etc during pre-qualitlcation. Sometimes, the consultant quantity surveyors will also give advice to prepare a potential tenderer list, depends on the clients need. Generally, 4 to 8 tenders is enou gh, depends on value and nature of the work. Once the tenderers list is compiled, preliminary enquiry should be made to those contractors on list, asking those potential contractors whether they are interested to bid the project before formal invitation.The outcome of the tender would be more satisfactory if the Contractor can decline at the earlier stage, and saving excessive papers for tender documents. 3. 2. 2 Tender Invitation and Submission During the compilation of the tenderers list, the consultant quantity surveyors should prepare the tender documents concurrently. So, as soon as the tender documents ready to be issue out (i. e. bill of quantities, drawings, specifications and client's specific requirements), the tender will be issue to the tenderers with the invitation.The good practice in the industry for the tendering period would be a minimum of 28 days in private sectors. This is a suggested fgure for traditional contract with no design responsibility from the contracto rs. For easier to analyze the capability of each contractor, usually the Employer will ask he tenderers to submit their own qualifications such as preliminary programme for the work, organization chart, etc. Details of those documents should be listed in the form of tender and also in the â€Å"Invitation to Tender† 3. 2. 3 Tender Assessment and Award All tenders should have received on the tender submission date.Sometimes the Employer maybe request the tenderers to submit non-price material such as Job reference, organization chart, financial statement, etc. These materials should be evaluated independently of the examination of the priced documents. OCT, 2012) To xamine the tenders efficiently, an assessment criteria should have established by the Employer. Price-oriented or quality-oriented? The answer should affect the examination process of tenders. For the priced documents (i. e. bill of quantities or schedule of rates), it should be checked to detect any arithmetical e rrors.Professional practice is that the tendered prices should never be altered without Justification. If there are any errors or discrepancies between BQ pages and the tender sum wrote in the form of the tender. There are procedures set out to deal with the above situation. Details of the errors should be given to the tenderers. If the said errors are rather minor in the contract sum, the tenderers may confirm the errors and abide his tender. Or the tenderers can withdraw his tender if he thinks the errors are unaffordable. However, it's depend on the tenderer's commercial decision.Under this procedure, correction of the overall tender price is not permitted. OCT, 2012) It the tenderer decided to stand by his submitted tender and confirmation nas been reached with the Employer, the gross amount of errors should be converted into a discount factor, usually express in percentage of the corrected tender sum. In Hong Kong projects, this factor is usually endorsed together in the letter of intent or letter to acceptance to the Main contractor. Then the factor will be applied to the variation account where related to the BQ or SOR, except those preliminaries, prime cost rates, provisional sums. WSCC, 2010) After checking errors, if there are any changes affecting prices or design, tender queries should be issued to all tenderers and carry out a second tender exercise. All replied tender queries should bind into the contract document as contract correspondences and forming part of contract, especially those with cost mplications. Upon completion of evaluation of returned tenders and tender queries, the consultant quantity surveyor should prepare a tender report and recommend the tenderer which he preferred.Then, the letter of intent or letter of acceptance should be sent out to complete the whole awarding process. 3. 3 Sub-contract The whole tendering procedures for sub contract can be divided at 3 sections as follows:- 3. 3. 1 Selection for a Specific Project When the contract was awarded to the Main Contractor as described above, the Main Contractor takes up total responsibility for the contract work. He cannot complete the hole work using only his own labour and worker. Sub-contractors is therefore needed, especially for E;M services, which require specialist sub-contractors.Each structured main contractor should have his own domestic sub-contractors (DSC) list, the criteria for being qualified into the list depends on different main contractors. Common criteria includes work quality, safety and health record, financial conditions, insurance cover, etc. (CIB, 1997) To appoint sub-contractors for specific project, a preliminary tenderer list should be prepared by drawing up suitable sub-contractors in the company approved list. Confirmations should be seek from potential tenderers if they are interested to tender.Numbers of tenders in the list should between four and six, for â€Å"construct only' sub-contract. (CIB, 1997) Same as appointin g main-contractor, upon complication of tender list, preliminary enquiry should be made with sufficient project details given to the proposed tenderers. Information including conditions of contracts, payment terms, amounts of retention, commencement date and completion date of main contract, etc. Clearly state all necessary information helps to reduce disputes between the main contractor and sub-contractors. CIB, 1997) 3. 3. Tender Invitation and Submission As a formal and good practice, a tender documents for acquiring prices is recommended. By using formal tender documents, offers from different sub- contractors are more easily to be analysed. In contrast, some main contractors may preterred simpler procedures such as asking sub-contractors to submit quotation themselves based on information received. However, in this report, formal tendering procedure are referred. For content of the tender documents, it's basically the same with those described above in the Main contract section .The tenders are to be sent out with the nvitations and date for submission of tenders should have stated in the invitations. The time for tendering should be 6 weeks for â€Å"construct only' tenders. In case of any queries, the tenderers should submit in writing to request for clarifications from the main contractors. (CIB, 1997) Method statements may be requested to submit from the tenderers to better assess their capability for the work and cost incurred by the main contractor for providing temporary working platform and storage space, etc. 3. . 3 Tender Assessment and Awa rd Like the procedure of selecting Main-contractors, only tenders submit by the ubmission date would be evaluated. Non-price material like method statements should be assessed independently, different methods may affect potential costs incurred by the main-contractor. The priced document will be go through checking process first, any arithmetical errors are to be notified to the tenderer and ask whether he wi ll stands by his tender price, procedures are generally same with those above described for main-contract.If it's possible, the tender prices should never be changed if the scope of works remain unchanged. (CIB, 1997) Subcontractors should then be chosen on the basis of the assessment criteria set own before issuing tender documents. The main contractor may arrange tender interview if he think it is necessary to clarify or amplify the submitted documents. Especially those preliminary items, such as provision of site office, storage, lifting equipment, insurance policy, etc. Responsibility for these items should clearly state and agree before awarding contract.Any matters agreed during the interview should be recorded in writing for further reference. If the main contractor has decided to appoint the tenderers as his subcontractors for the projects, the letter of acceptance should be sent as a formal record here. (CIB, 1997) In case the tendering process for sub-contractors start bef ore the award of main- contract and the preferred sub-contractor's tender are to be used for main tender submission, the sub-contractor should be notified so the sub-contractor can arrange his resources more efficiently.Upon the acceptance of the main contract tender, the main contractor should also accept that sub-contract tender price agreed before and notify the sub-contractor formally. Letter of acceptance should be sent to the preferred tenderers as a formal contractual record. (CIB, 1997) Conclusions Tendering procedures for main contract and sub contract has been briefly laborated in above passage. Major differences is illustrated by Figure 2 below.Description Sub-contract Compilation of Tenderer List Consultant QS or Employer Main Contractor Tendering Period 8 weeks minimum 6 weeks minimum Nos. of Tenderers Figure 2 Comparison of Tendering Procedures For the tenderer list, the one used for tendering for main contract are usually recommend by the consultant quantity surveyors or the client have its own preferred list, based on reputation. In contrast, each main contractor have its own sub- contractors list based on their specialized trade.For the tendering period, the codes suggested 8 weeks minimum for main contractors to prepare their tender for the Employer while 6 weeks minimum was suggested for sub-contractors to prepare their tender for main contractors. For numbers of tenderers, it is necessary to have sufficient numbers of tenderers to enable a fair competition. It's suggested 4-8 tenders will be enough for tendering of main contracts, depends on the value and nature of the projects. Fewer numbers of tenderers would be enough for selecting sub-contractors, 4-6 tenderers is suggested in the Codes, depends on different trades.

Determination of the amount of dissolved oxygen Essay

Topic : Determination of the amount of dissolved oxygen in a water sample by iodometry-the winkler’s method. Objective: To determine the amount of dissolved oxygen in a water sample by iodometry- the winkler’s method. Apparatus: volumetric pipette, 3 conical flask, burette, burette clamp, Pasteur pipette, reagent bottle, conical flask stopper, retord stand, white tile Materials: 2 ml manganese sulphate solution, 2 ml alkaline-iodine solution, 0.025M sodium thiosulphate solution, 2ml concentration sulphuric acid, starch solution Procedure 1. When sampling water, care must be taken to ensure that a good representative sample of the water to be analyzed is obtained. For most purposes, this includes attention to dissolved gases. Therefore, the water sample should be taken in a clean bottle which must be filled to overflowing and tightly sealed with stopper without introduction of air. If the water is sampled from a tap, it must be allowed to run for at least 5 minutes prior to sampling. For this purpose, you may collect the water into a 1 L reagent bottle fitted with a stopper. 2. The stopper is removed carefully from the conical flask and 2 mL of the manganese sulfate solution is added, discharging the reagent from the tip of a pipette put well below the water surface. Stopper is replaced. 3. Similarly, 2 mL of the alkaline-iodide solution is introduced. 4. The stopper is placed in the bottle, be sure that no air becomes entrapped. Some overflow may occur. The content is mixed thoroughly by inversion and rotation. Manganese hydroxide is precipitated and will settled on standing. 5. When the precipitate has settled, 2 mL of concentrated sulfuric acid is introduced with the tip of the pipette well below the surface of the solution. 6. The stopper is replaced and mixed until the precipitate dissolves completely. The dissolved oxygen now liberates free iodine from the potassium iodide present. 7. Pipette 200 mL of the acidified sample into a 500 mL conical flask and titrate with 0.025 M sodium thiosulphate until the solution becomes pale yellow. 8. Add a few drops of starch indicator and continue the titration to the disappearance of blue color.  (If the blue color doesn’t appear after adding starch, repeat the titration and adding starch before start of titration ) 9. Repeat the titration twice. Treatment of data: Titration number 1 2 3 Final volume (cm3) 18.0025.5018.50 Initial volume (cm3) 10.0018.0025.50 Volume used (cm3) 8.007.507.00 Average volume of titrant required for titration = 7.50 cm3 Calculation Concentration (ppm) of dissolved oxygen in the water sample. Mol of S2O3 2- used=0.0001875mol Mol of S2O3 2- =0.000046875mol Mass of O2=[0.000046875Ãâ€"2(15.999)]=1.4999mg 1000ml of tap water=7.5mg O2 Concentration of DO in water sample=7.3mg/L Discussion: The Winkler test is used to determine the concentration of dissolved oxygen in water samples. Dissolved oxygen (D.O.) is widely used in water quality studies and routine operation of water reclamation facilities. An excess of manganese (II) salt, iodide (I–) and hydroxide (OH–) ions is added to a water sample causing a white precipitate of Mn(OH)2 to form. This precipitate is then oxidized by the dissolved oxygen in the water sample into a brown manganese precipitate. In the next step, a strong acid is added to acidify the solution. The brown precipitate then converts the iodide ion (I–) to iodine. The amount of dissolved oxygen is directly proportional to the titration of iodine with a thiosulfate solution. Iodemetry reacts directly, fast and quantitively with many organic and inorganic substances. Because of its relatively low, pH independent redox potential and reversibility of the iodide/iodine reaction, iodometry can be used both to determine amount of reducing agents and of oxidizing agent. In my first titration, initial reading is 10.00 and final reading is 18.00. The titrants used is 8.00. In my second titration, initial reading is18.00 and final reading is 25.50. The titrants used is 7.50. In my third titration, my initial reading is25.50 and my final reading is 18.50. The titrant used is7.00. Adequate dissolved oxygen is necessary for good water quality. Oxygen is a necessary element to all forms of life. Natural stream purification processes require adequate oxygen level in order to provide for aerobic life form. As dissolved oxygen levels in water drop below 5.0mg/L, aquatic life is put under stress. The lower the concentration, the greater the stress. Oxygen levels that remain below 1-2mg/L for a few hours can result in large fish kills. Total dissolved gas concentration in water should not exceed 110 percent. Concentration above this levels can be harmful to aquatic life. Conclusion: The concentration of DO in tap water is 7.5ppm.

Treaty of Versailles Source study Essays - International Relations

Treaty of Versailles Source study Essays - International Relations Treaty of Versailles Source study Source 1 80. Germany will respect the independence of Austria.81. Germany recognizes the complete independence of Czechoslovakia.87. Germany recognizes the complete independence of Poland.119. Germany surrenders all her rights and titles over her overseas countries.159. The German military forces shall be demobilized and reduced not to exceed 100,000 men.181. The German navy must not exceed 6 battleships, 6 light cruisers, 12 destroyers, and 12 torpedo boats. No submarines are to be included.198. The Armed Forces of Germany must not include any military or naval air forces. 231. Germany and her Allies accept the responsibility for causing all the loss and damage to the Allied Powers.*233. Germany will pay for all damages done to the civilian population and property of the Allied Governments. [The figure was later set at $33 billion].428. To guarantee the execution of the Treaty, the German territory situated to the west of the Rhine River will be occupied by Allied troops for fifteen years.431. The occupation forces will be withdrawn as soon as Germany complies with the Treaty. Extracts from the Treaty of Versailles, signed 1919 Source: https://www.facinghistory.org/weimar-republic-fragility-democracy/politics/treaty-versailles-summaries-specific-articles-politics-treaty Source 2 Source: http://urbachc.org/urb-versailles-political-cartoons.html Use Source 1 and 2, explain what impact the Treaty of Versailles had on Germany politically and economically.5 Marks Using the sources and your own knowledge, examine the motivations of those who created the Treaty of Versailles. 10 Marks Using the sources and your own knowledge, analyse the contribution of the Treaty of Versailles to Hitler's rise to power.10 Marks

Tourism And Economic Development In Singapore Tourism Essay Essays

Tourism And Economic Development In Singapore Tourism Essay Essays Tourism And Economic Development In Singapore Tourism Essay Essay Tourism And Economic Development In Singapore Tourism Essay Essay The Singapore Tourism Board ( STB ) is a taking economic development in touristry, one of Singapore s cardinal service sectors. The organisation is known for partnership, invention and excellence in doing it a cardinal economic driver for Singapore. ( STB, updated 2010 ) Based on the Singapore Tourism Board ( STB ) media release on April 23, 2009 and October 27, 2009, the cardinal statistics show that there is an unfavourable alteration in inflow of Singapore Tourism. Visitor reaching to Singapore has declined in earlier portion of the twelvemonth 2009 when compared to twelvemonth 2008. This is well caused by the lessening of tourer reaching from Singapore s top five visitor-generating markets which is besides deduction of the external forces by Political, Economical, Socio-cultural and Technology developments at the tourer bring forthing states every bit good as the finish state. Other major factors include the followerss ; The gap of boundary lines An addition in disposable income and holidaies Reasonable priced airfares An addition in the figure of people with clip and money More people with the impulse to go The weak public presentation in tourer reaching further leads to worsen in general economic system of the state as Tourism provides authorities with significant revenue enhancement grosss. As there is mutuality between assorted sections of touristry, public presentation by other touristry related sectors such as Hotel, Attractions, Restaurants, Theme Parks and other Resorts in Singapore faced the negative multiplier consequence of the lessening of tourer reaching in earlier 2009. Problem Identification and Analysis As at April 2009, Tourist reaching bead hotel industry public presentation bead in general compared to the same month in twelvemonth 2008 AOR / ARR/ Revpar/ room revenue/ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ There is a tendency in Singapore touristry harmonizing to functionary records that there is a well low inbounds in the first months of a calendar twelvemonth. These could moderately be caused by the agenda and modus operandis of a on the job mid-class visitants where there are least likely to be granted a holiday period. Another cardinal influence of the inflow is the planetary economic system crisis that took topographic point and effected world-wide economic system in 2008 which was triggered by a liquidness deficit in the United States banking system. It contributed to the failure of cardinal concern, diminutions in consumer wealth, significant fiscal committednesss incurred by authoritiess, and a important diminution in economic activity. Harmonizing to the statistics from October 2009, media release by Singapore Tourism Board, the visitant reachings to Singapore has picked up in a positive mark registering increase figure of 9,000 which was about 10 % of the reaching in earlier that twelvemonth. This is an deduction of cardinal part by top visitor-generating markets from Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Japan. These influences could be regarded as a consequence from public vacations at the tourer bring forthing states. Some factors include grant vacations and holiday period by the employer to bulk of the staff and being the most suited clip to unclutter the one-year leave by twelvemonth terminal. Some other factors may be attributed to attractive travel bundles and aggressive selling for major events in the finish state. Statement of Key jobs and Issues Based on the statistics from STB during the earlier months of twelvemonth 2009, there were issues between viing hotel industry. Mid-Tier hotel category, hotels located in premier commercial zones or instantly outlaying countries of Singapore, had achieved the highest AOR but low ARR †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Economy-Tier, hotels in budget section and are by and large located in outlaying countries of Singapore, faced lowest AOR but high ARR and Revpar †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ . Although the growing of tourer reaching improved by terminal of the twelvemonth 2009, the hotel industry remained slow in accomplishing the standard public presentation compared to old twelvemonth. There was a important addition in AOR by September 2009. However ARR/ Revpar decreased ensuing in bead of entire Hotel room gross when compared to twelvemonth 2008. This implies that touristry related sectors and concerns could non better public presentation in line with the tourer reaching as there are strong competition among the competition houses and sharing of market available at given chance. Upscale grade, which include hotels in upscale section and are by and large in premier locations or hotels with dress shop positioning in premier or typical locations, received a lower consequence with little diminution. This shows a certain section of the industry that is non every bit sensitive as other sections. Coevals and Evaluation of Alternative Solutions Hotels operation could avoid important impact by practising gross management†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Media consciousness in tourer bring forthing states, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ . Travel publicity to be marketed and enforced by oversea tourer offices under STB, peculiarly establishing publicity run for the vacation periods. Government should put against the background of turning chances from both traditional out-bounds markets including the United States, Europe and Japan, and high growing possible markets such as China and India. Execution of Recommendations Should take to distinguish and market Singapore as a must see finish offering a concentration of enriching experiences. STB should transport out the actions to advance Singapore Tourism and the local tourer attractive force in order to stand out as a top finish in Asia Pacific and among the universe celebrated finish. Tour operators, Hotel directions and Food and Beverages concern should spread out their web by associating with more mediators such as travel agents and circuit operators. With current position and strong competition among the houses, concern operators from single touristry sections should understand the mutuality between the assorted sections of touristry as in Travel, Lodging, Food service, and diversion musca volitanss. If any chance given to bind in with one another, these sections should actively originate the bundle that would profit each and every section. For illustration, a travel agent offering air ticket along with room darks of a certain hotel, which will besides have a half twenty-four hours tour at the local attractive forces to lend the local community. It is besides of import to acknowledge the multiplier consequence in the Tourism industry where the money spent by tourers to go, to remain in a hotel or to eat in a eating house, is recycled by those concern to buy more goods thereby bring forthing further usage of the money which is favourable for the local community. Current and future tendency of Singapore Tourism Medical Tourism The addition in the figure of people to seek medical intervention in Singapore has been driven chiefly by cheap travel, a rise in the figure of persons with longer life anticipations and extra income. Furthermore, twosome with expensive and long waiting periods for domestic intervention in other Asia states and the information available through media and cyberspace has boost the inbound medical touristry for Singapore. Since October 2003, Singapore authorities had launched Singapore Medicine, a multi-government enterprise aimed at developing Singapore into one of Asia taking finishs for international patients. It targets to draw1million foreign patients to Singapore by twelvemonth 2012. In footings of gross, it sets to bring forth S $ 3 billion for the medical travel industry where the Economic Development Board ( EDB ) , Singapore Tourism Board ( STB ) and International Enterprise ( IE ) Singapore are portion of this enterprise. ( STB, 2004 ) Singapore Grand Prix Singapore GP is the major event go oning in Singapore which staged Formula 1, auto rushing get downing with the 2008 Season. Many of the F1 fans travelled to Singapore in order to take part in this major juncture, lending a important encouragement in Singapore Tourism. This sort of events has promoted the touristry of Singapore and brought in gross for other touristry related sectors such as Conveyances, Lodging and Food and Beverages. Completion of the two Integrated Resorts Marina Bay Sands and Resort World Sentosa, the two major undertakings had completed in 2010, lending a major addition in tourer reaching mostly from Asia parts and other Europe states. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦

A Rumor of War essays

A Rumor of War essays A Rumor of War is a personal account of Philip Caputo, a marine lieutenant who served one tour of duty in Vietnam. He began his story in 1960 with his enlistment and training, continued to 1965 with his deployment to Vietnam, and concluded in 1967 with his discharge from the marines. Through these series of events, the author evolves from a youthful innocent to a disillusioned war protestor. The gradual erosion of values that he experienced paralleled the growing frustration and disheartenment at home. It is with this disillusionment in mind that he wrote a memoir that was therapeutic for both him and the American people. The author's sweeping account from the Camelot atmosphere of the Kennedy era, a time where America felt invincible, to the growing despair that many Americans and soldiers felt in 1966, gives particular strength to this book. He and other young men, swept up in the "patriotic tide of the Kennedy era", enlisted in the service of their nation. (4) These proud young ma rines, like America, were representative of an "innocent time" before the death and destruction of Vietnam. (24) In the end, after enduring a tour of bloody skirmishes, the ravages of a hostile environment, and massive psychological and emotional attrition, he, like so many other veterans, broke down in a near emotional and physical collapse. He was no longer a man filled with the optimism and daring-do of yesteryear, but someone who believed the war to be unwinnable and a disgrace to his country. His narrative shows the loss and frustration experienced by the soldiers in the field and, largely, the nation at home. A second strength of the book is the recounting of a combination of events Caputo experienced and reflections on those events. These reflections lend themselves towards portraying an accurate depiction of "life in the trenches", thus giving a flavor and essence otherwise unknown to non-veterans of the Vietnam War. In these reflections, he often d...

The Death of Queen Victoria and Her Era

The Death of Queen Victoria and Her Era Queen Victoria was the second-longest reigning British monarch in history, ruling the United Kingdom from 1837 to 1901. Her death on Jan. 22, 1901, at age 81 was mourned around the world and signaled an end to the Victorian Era. Queen Victoria Dies For months, Queen Victorias health had been failing. She had lost her appetite and started looking frail and thin. She would tire more easily and would often have bouts of confusion. Then, on January 17, the queens health took a severe turn for the worse. When she woke up, her personal physician, Dr. James Reid, noticed that the left side of her face had started to sag. Also, her speech had become slightly slurred. She had suffered one of several small strokes. By the following day, the queens health was worse. She stayed in bed all day, unaware of who was by her bedside. Early in the morning of Jan. 19, Queen Victoria seemed to rally. She asked Dr. Reid if she was better, to which he assured her that she was. But she quickly slipped out of consciousness again. It had become obvious to Dr. Reid that Queen Victoria was dying. He summoned her children and grandchildren. At 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 22 Queen Victoria died, surrounded by her family, at the Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. Preparing the Coffin Queen Victoria had left very detailed instructions as to how she wanted her funeral. This included specific things she wanted inside her coffin. Many of the items were from her beloved husband, Albert, who had died in 1861. On January 25, Dr. Reid carefully placed the items Queen Victoria had requested in the bottom of her coffin: Alberts dressing gown, a plaster cast of Alberts hand, and photographs. When that was done, Queen Victorias body was lifted into the coffin with the help of her son Albert (the new king), her grandson William (the German Kaiser), and her son Arthur (the Duke of Connaught). Then, as instructed, Dr. Reid helped place Queen Victorias wedding veil over her face and, once the others had departed, placed a picture of her favorite personal attendant John Brown in her right hand, which he covered with flowers. When all was ready, the coffin was closed and then carried to the dining room where it was covered with the Union Jack (Britains flag) while the body lay in state. The Funeral Procession On February 1, Queen Victorias coffin was moved from Osborne House and placed on the ship Alberta, which carried the queens coffin across the Solent to Portsmouth. On February 2, the coffin was transported by train to Victoria Station in London. From Victoria to Paddington, the queens coffin was carried by gun carriage, since Queen Victoria had requested a military funeral. She had also wanted a white funeral, so the gun carriage was pulled by eight white horses. The streets along the funeral route were crowded with spectators who wanted to get a last glimpse of the queen. As the carriage passed by everyone remained silent. All that could be heard were the clattering of the horses hooves, the jangling of swords, and the distant boom of gun salutes. Once at Paddington, the queens coffin was placed on a train and taken to Windsor. At Windsor, the coffin was again placed on a gun carriage pulled by white horses. This time, however, the horses began to act up and were so unruly that they broke their harness. Since the front of the funeral procession was unaware of the problem, they had already marched up Windsor Street before they were stopped and turned around. Quickly, alternate arrangements had to be made. The naval guard of honor found a communication cord and turned it into an impromptu harness and the sailors themselves then pulled the queens funeral carriage. Queen Victorias coffin was then placed in St. Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle, where it remained in the Albert Memorial Chapel for two days under guard. Burial of Queen Victoria On the evening of February 4, Queen Victorias coffin was taken by gun carriage to Frogmore Mausoleum, which she had built for her beloved Albert upon his death. Above the mausoleums doors, Queen Victoria had inscribed, Vale desideratissime. Farewell most beloved. Here at length I shall rest with thee, with thee in Christ I shall rise again.

Environmental Policy Analysis Paper - Deforestation Research

Environmental Policy Analysis - Deforestation - Research Paper Example According to statistics, about 2-3 hectares of forestland is destroyed for agricultural purposes annually. In addition to the commercial use of the forest, ranching has also led to an increase in the deforestation process. Deforestation has also been due to livestock operations, which has led to increase in small-scale farming, since land devoted for annual crops production is converted to pasture due to low yields. According to Wood and Porro (25), the Brazilian Environmental Policy being discussed in this paper mainly addresses mechanisms for reducing deforestation without affecting economical development in the Amazon region. For example, the policy deals with introducing practices that would reduce deforestation through either slashing or burning. The economic and environmental impacts of the policy are mainly targeted on technological changes in the agricultural sector in the region. Some of the new technology would have both negative and positive effects on the environment as w ell as economical situation. This is because the new technology might emit gasses in the air and make many farmers lose their source of income. The policy also seeks to update the physical infrastructure in the region, and the effects of lower transportation costs would make the area more accessible (Wood and Porro 30). This would reduce costs by reducing transportation expense for transporting goods and people from one area to another. The other effect of the policy is reducing the macro-economic impact of shocks such as currency devaluation on the movement of agriculture in the region. Balancing environmental sustainability and reducing poverty levels is always a problem in any region, hence the need to identify a policy that would be able to provide basic needs without affecting or destroying the natural environment (Wood and Porro 39). This necessitates the provision of an alternative to slashing and burning for agriculture. Even though the government removed policies that advoc ated for land clearing, the rate of deforestation has not reduced in the area. Therefore, to mitigate the effects of deforestation there was a need to come up with a model that would facilitate the Brazilian economic policy changes and improve land tenure regimes in the region. The model would also ensure the adoption of new agricultural policies such as adoption of new farming tenure systems that would take into consideration growing of perennial crops rather than annual crops. In addition to the improvement of infrastructure in the region, the policy seeks to reduce currency devaluation and align it with the new system, and provide fiscal methods to reduce the rate of deforestation (Wood and Porro 45). Regulating the land tenure system is one of the best options for reducing deforestation since most instances of deforestation occurred in the hands of foresters who acquired informal land tenure. By introducing new land tenures, the government is reclaiming the land and removing the incentives for deforestation, which would effectively reduce deforestation by 23 percent per year. Advancement in agricultural development would play a vital role in agricultural advancement and reduce deforestation (Wood and Porro 46). Due to improvement in livestock production, the returns of agricultural activities would increase, which would in turn improve food security. However, in the long-run, deforestation would increase as